Characteristics of Well-Baked Crust

1. Golden brown with darker brown edges

2. Slightly blistered crust
3. Neat, even edges
4. Fits pan well
5. Flaky, not soggy
6. Easily cut
7. Tender
8. Pleasing flavor

Causes of Poor Quality Pies and Pastry

1. Pale crust – underbaked; low oven

temperature
2. Dark crust – overbaked; high oven
temperature
3. Tough crust – too much water,
overmixing; too little shortening;
overhandling of dough
4. Solid crust – lower oven temperature;
insufficient shortening; overhandling of
dough
5. Pastry shell blisters – too slow oven;
tightly fitted pastry; not pinched very
well
6. Soggy lower crust – watery filling; low
oven temperature; uneven heat of oven;
overhandling of pastry
7. Thin, brittle crust – too much fat; crust
rolled too thinly
8. Shrinks in pan – wrong proportion of
ingredients; stretched tightly in pan; too
low oven temperature
9. Poor flavor – poor quality of ingredients
wrong proportion of ingredients

Mixing Methods for Pies and Pastries

Cutting-in – mixing fat to flour using a

pastry blender or dull knives in cutting
motion or tossing in flour with finger tips
into the shortening to form a course
mixture or until the size of corn or pea is
achieved.